Sharing the Art of Cooking Delicious Food

Sunday, May 26, 2013

May 2013 - Kitchen Adventures

My first product demo was great fun; I went to Supa IGA, in Mt Lawley on the corner Second Ave and Beaufort Street.

We had tastings of our LK Homestyle Curry Paste and LK Rendang Terlagi Lagi - demos done with mince chicken and beef, accompanied with rice, yoghurt, and our amazing range of condiments. We could hear nothing but echoes of delicious, delicious! I could quite happily get used to this!

I also conducted two tastings of Mushroom Kuruma which was a hit with everyone. The product used was LK Kuruma Masala Paste - 1 jar can make between 1.5kg to 1.75kg depending on how strong you like it. Adding a few tablespoons of whipped yoghurt turns this dish into a delicious spicy creamy dish to be relished. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of chopped coriander. GF, 100% Natural Ingredients. Great paired with any meats, seafood, paneer and peas!

My last demo was with our Zingy Tomato Chutney. Quickly stir fried with a tin of Sirena Chilli Tuna in oil...this is a family favourite. Add a few half slices of cherry tomatoes and bring to a quick sizzle. Then toss through with boiled pasta fusilli or fettuccine. Penne, Linguine, Tagliatelle all works well too. Add chopped coriander or mint, squeeze of lemon juice and a quick meal is yours to enjoy. P.S. Add grated cheese and place under the grill for more flavour.

Upcoming demos
Demonstration at IGA Supa Nedlands Friday May 24 from 11.30am-2pm. I'll be whipping up some tasty treats using our LK Range of Curry Pastes and Condiments for your sampling pleasure....152 Stirling Hwy, Nedlands.

Having a demo at Meat at the Mezz Mt Hawthorn Sopping Plaza on Saturday, June 1 from 10am.
Demo at The Good Grocer on Friday, June 7 from 10.30am. Hope to see you there..
Please pass the word around to those who are missing us...

Current List of Stockists
Link to website http://www.latashaskitchen.com.au/stockists/

2013 Perth Good Food & Wine Show

Latasha's Kitchen will be taking part in the Good Food & Wine Show in Perth from July 19-21. Held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, Latasha's Kitchen will be at stand F3. Please come and say hello - we will have lots of specials and tastings waiting for you
Find us in F3 Booth.

Online Orders
For a limited time we have some specials for those ordering online. Buy 5 and get your 6th product Free. Buy one carton and get Free Postage to anywhere in Australia. It is gratifying that most of your orders so far are averaging 4 jars at a time, and reorders are coming in from some of you already.

How to use the Latasha’s Kitchen range

How about Pasta Fussili, tossed with our Green Chimmichurri and a can of organic brown lentils and chickpeas, so filling and moreish.

Another idea try our Zingy Tomato Chutney stir fried with a can of Chilli Sirena Tina in Oil and half a punnet of cherry tomatoes. Boil some pasta then mix through the stir fried goodness, ladle onto a bowl, and scatter a cup or two of good stretchy mozzarella over the top. I personally prefer fresh buffalo mozzarella from re Store. Grill for a few minutes to melt cheese….yum yum yum!

I recently made Red Fish Emperor cutlets marinated with my Vindaloo Paste and Sour Cream baked in the oven and fried some Turmeric and Mustard Cabbage Poriyal. We enjoyed this with rice, yoghurt and pickles. Wish I made some Mulligatawny (Resam) to complete the meal though.

Your Kitchen Adventures
I would love to hear about your kitchen adventures with Latasha’s Kitchen products. Please post a photo on our Facebook page and tell us all about it!
Thank you, thank you ...until next time!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Why did I kid myself?

Mmm, there I thought with the café and classes over, moving on with my new full time business as a local Producer of Curry Pastes and Condiments life on the whole will tend to be a whole lot easier.

I told family and friends I’d be seeing a whole lot more of them now….and I harboured thoughts of reading all those books on my wish list (yes, lots of cookbooks too) …I thought I’d have more time for those long walks I’d planned for, I thought I’d spring clean my home, start a huge vegetable garden...Come to think of it all my thought up plans and wishes were ratherWishful Thoughts.

So for those of you wondering how I may be idling my time these days away from the demands of cooking for hungry customers, running a café and cooking classes; well here’s a short interim report.

The well fed cat that eats and sleeps all day...

I start my days typically around 6am...and most days get to sleep at around 12.30am …nothing different from café days…The usual day normally starts with our well-fed cat Asha demanding some brekkie (not home cooked I assure you) and then making my daughter some treats for school which she usually happily swaps with her friends or brings home to hide from me – but that’s another story!

My husband Anand who enjoys one too many coffees and teas a day…

My daughter Sashana who prefers fresh and healthy when it suits her mood

When I’m really good in the mornings I cook my husband and daughter brekkie, otherwise it's cereal or toast and fruit for them. Bad café habit – I must have a clean kitchen so I always wash and clean after brekkie (note to myself – learn to relax, it’s a home not a cafe). Then it’s a quick check (who am I kidding here?) on overnight emails from my lovely team of contract staff. There are always issues that crop up from our warehouse or production kitchen or website to sort through. After this it’s the school run and right after that it’s a store to store run by suburbs to check on orders, stocks etc….My GPS is my patient husband Anand providing directions to get to places. As we’re the new kid on the block, i.e. we don’t have hired reps. so I’m a jack of all trades now - swinging between jobs and roles, learning to change ‘hats’ on the go...all of which can be a rather enjoyable stress.

Then in between all of this daily drama, I pop back into my home office to answer yet more emails, proof read material that may be required from our copywriter, check with Agency on current status of jobs, look into photography, video or website issues, handle phone enquiries, get organised for upcoming weekend fresh markets, get ready for cooking demos at local stores…day dream about new product ideas (quick stern check on myself to stop this quickly) ….work on cookbook development…and before I know it - it’s the school run again.

At this point of the day 4pm ish, my routine suddenly changes quickly to a situation I haven’t faced for 10 years – yes, it’s the usual catch phrase across all homes towards that time of the day ‘mum,dad what’s for dinner?…

The beauty of having a cafe was that the family ate most meals from what was available at the BainMarie or I made up kitchen orders according to their demands…since that’s now history…we are facing similar issues as our customers….

And so I confess to you my dear friends - on busy days I turn to my own products for quick meals but still wondering why I feel guilty doing this??? Oh yes, that’s right I’m supposed to be marketing my products not eating them. (Reminder to self - you simply cannot afford this luxury as yet! Latasha you have bills to pay…)

Yes, it is busy days starting a new business and quite intimidating at times. But I wouldn’t have it any other way now – it’s all so exciting, so frightening yet so fulfilling… I sleep REALLY well now not from exhaustion as I used to but from being fulfilled in my current life work - I know I’m happy and experience deep satisfaction in doing this.

Some people you deal with in this business are so lovely – they share your passion, love their work, they get what you’re about and you quickly form a warm bond. Others I have quickly found out are bored, unsuited for the industry, they don’t get you, they don’t like spices, they lack the essential bits required for being in a food industry i.e. gutsy passion and perhaps this may have been overstretched by the demands of their sometimes mundane daily tasks…who knows?. A small minority at higher levels just lack professionalism, act like god’s gifts to us small producers…they can be truly so arrogant on so many levels its unbelievably astonishing- they keep you waiting, don’t return calls or emails, so aware of their POWER (such an ugly word) as a buyer or decision maker. Thankfully they are such a minority - so let’s hope tomorrow I meet up with some really nice ones – they are out there.

In spite of the small negatives, I do realise I’m one of the lucky ones doing something I love and am passionate about– I hope it ALWAYS enriches my experience as I develop my products and bring them out to you and that in turn our product senhance your experience in the kitchen as you creatively use it. I have faith my products’ honesty is being reflected within the jars I make and that it comes across to each of you, as you open it, smell it and cook with it….

Our list of stockists are constantly updated, we are planning on popping up in demonstrations in a store near you over the next few weeks and months and look forward to a warm hello, hugs and kisses.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Latasha's Kitchen Adventures - March 2013

I do hope you have been enjoying our new range of delicious pastes, sauces and chutneys. I am about to head back into the production kitchen to produce my next lines of products in the Latasha’s Kitchen range. My new product lines for mid April release include:

South American - Green Chimichurri Sauce/Marinade – A South American blend perfect for pairing with grilled, barbecued and roasted meats, fish and vegetables. Works as an excellent marinade as well. Made with tons of love for my daughter Sashana, my number one fan.

Indian - Homestyle Seafood Curry Paste - a fantastic base for any number of seafood. Sunny this one is for you….

Butter Chicken Sauce - dare I say this? Yes, ours is simply the best there is in the market today!! A favourite dish with many fans. Just the right amount of tanginess, spiciness and sweetness. For all my young and not so young fans out there…

Rogan Josh Masala Paste - fantastic with Lamb, Mutton or Goat. Slow cook on stove or in your oven for tender melting results. For my lovely neighbours – the Egans.

Biriyani Masala Paste - a perfect blend of zesty spices for a one pot vegetarian, seafood or meat dishes. Made for Sue Caddy and family with lots of affection for your wonderful support.

Kuruma Masala Paste - a nutty and tasty mild sauce, great paired with chicken, lamb, beef, vegetables or boiled eggs. This is for Anton De Souza who first convinced me to start bottling my pastes…

Madras Curry Paste - a sure winner with Lamb, Mutton, Goat, Poultry, Beef, Seafood and Vegetarian dishes. Yes, great with everything.

Coriander Curry Paste - a terrific paste made with fresh, whole and roasted ground coriander. This one is for Alison, Jason, and Robyn in particular!!!

Eggplant Kasaundi Chutney – A medley of sweet and aromatic fragrant spices makes this wonderful savoury chutney perfect for so many creative uses. Try it as a savoury dressing, dollop over rolls,consider as a dip or pair with stews, pilafs and other mains. A versatile accompaniment to absolutely anything.

These products will be available from our online store from April 15, 2013.

Also look out for updates from the production kitchen on our Facebook page.

I am looking forward to creating these for you to taste! Thank you, thank you, thank you !!!

First Edition of Latasha's Kitchen Adventures - now online!

The first edition of Latasha's Kitchen Adventures is now online. Read all about Latasha's working holiday in Sri Lanka and the products coming soon to the Latasha's Kitchen range.